The Sunday Giveaway: 1 Free Ticket to TEDx Broadway!

Just a few weeks ago we announced the return of TEDx Broadway, and tickets are flying off the e-shelves. Co-Organizers Damian Bazadona, Jim McCarthy and I have been a bit overwhelmed by the excitement from inside our beloved industry, as well as from the outside world. So we’re working twice as hard to deliver an event that everyone is going to love.

And I can’t tell you everything that’s going to happen during those few hours on January 28th. But I can tell you it’s going to be cool.

Wow. January 28th. It’s hard to believe that it’s less than three months away.

It’s also hard to believe that we’re giving away a free ticket to one of you!

Want to win a free pass to TEDx? Here’s how:

OK, since you’ve all been such good boys and girls, I’ll give you one hint as to something we’re thinking about doing this year that’s a little different . . .

We’ve been inspired by the Presidential Debates (remember this blog from the last presidential election?) as well as the work of an org called Intelligence Squared.

Intelligence Square makes big succinct and most definitely controversial statements (e.g. Legalize Drugs, Ban College Football, Give Ken Davenport A Broadway Theater to Run, etc.) then gets two sides to debate that issue (a For and an Against). The fun part about what they do is that they have the audience vote For/Against before the debate. And then after! You see how compelling the arguments are instantaneously! Fun!

Ok, so we’re toying with the idea of doing something like that for TEDx. Toying, I say . . . ’cause there’s no guarantee. Why am I being so hemmy-and-hawwy?

Because we haven’t found our big succinct statement . . . yet.

That’s where you come in!

Comment below with your simple statement with pros and cons and maybe you’ll win the ticket to TEDx!

And maybe you’ll see some super speakers debating your issue!

(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Click here then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!)

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FUN STUFF:

– Get Your Show Off The Ground! Workshop coming up on 11/17. Only 3 spots left. Register today.

Saaya Y.

Live stream Broadway shows.
Pros: More audience, more fans, and more revenue sources. New types of fans would come to see the live shows in NYC, just like Glee fans love seeing the cast’s performances in live.
Cons: It could lower the existing live ticket prices and/or sales. More competition with TV & film business.

Aaron Deitsch

Rachel E

Continue producing musicals based on movies (a la Ghost, Bring It On, Legally Blonde, Elf…you get the idea!).
Pros: pre-existing fan base, broad appeal, may capture less traditional Broadway audience members, theoretically less risky than a new show that nobody has heard of
Cons: Discourages creativity/fresh ideas, deters more “authentic” Broadway audiences, may not translate well to the stage

1. Quality shows can be fun, and in the long run will bring theatre it’s value (which, in my opinion was taken away by money-machines that has no real power)
2.Quality shows aren’t always what the public values (though, the people are always underestimated)

Luke Weidner

Julia Broder

PROS: Too many choices for a potential Broadway customer can be counterproductive. Studies are increasingly showing that the more choice a person has, 1) the more likely he is to regret his decision and/ or feel less satisfied with his choice, or 2) the more likely he is to be overwhelmed into a state of paralysis and not choose at all.
(Watch this TedTalk with Psychologist Barry Schwartz: http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html)

CONS:
The more variety we have in our show offerings, the happier our ticket buyers will be, and therefore, the more they will buy. We want to have something for everyone.

Pros – Overall industry revenues are much lower than TV or the movies; much less original content is created for the stage than either of the above; many shows succeed on a purely commercial level with little or no artistic merit; clearly the theatre had a ‘Golden Age’ in the ’50s; etc.

Cons – Recent theatre renovations/restorations; influence of large media conglomerates like Disney; the “British megamusical” of the 1980s; the rise of college music theatre training programs; the regional theatre phenomenon; the resurgence of B-way as a tourist destination since the 1980s; etc.

Eliza

What i do not realize is in fact how you’re now not auclatly a lot more smartly-favored than you might be now. You’re very intelligent. You know thus considerably in relation to this topic, made me in my opinion imagine it from so many various angles. Its like women and men don’t seem to be interested unless it is one thing to accomplish with Woman gaga! Your own stuffs great. All the time take care of it up!

Joe

David

Pro: Broaday is expensive, and would be more inclusive and less elitist (and maybe offer more shows of more relevance) with lower prices. Broadway should be more responsive to market forces and laws of supply and demand so there would be fewer empty seats (which are wasted inventory and lost potential experiences).

Con: Broadway is a terrific value. And who pays full price for tickets anyway?

L

Broadway producers are the real industry stars
Pros: Help theatre be recognized as a thriving commercial entity; motivate further stewardship by donor patrons; helps sell conference events like TedX
Cons: Actors are reduced to only appearing in mainstream media and taken less seriously, the face of a show is no longer what you pay to see on stage, the high price of tickets is reflected in industry ideals.

Travis

Pros: The opportunity to inexpensively see a show is available to anyone who can get up at six in the morning
Cons: Can encourage people to wait for the day of the show to buy cheap theatre-filling tickets rather than full price ones earlier.

Robert HP

Posit: Reduce top tier ticket prices to $100, and offer a substantial number of $20 tickets to all shows.

PROS: Once again, young people (and families with young people) can attend and re-attend Broadway shows, inspiring the next generation of actors/directors/lyricists/composers, the way it attracted the likes of Gershwin, etc.

CONS: No more over-the-top spectacles with over-the-budget Hollywood actors with questionable skills on the boards. That’s also a “Pro.”

Diana Lipkus

Posit: Broadway Across America is or is not beneficial to creating an audience that will travel to New York City to financially support the Broadway theater district and especially new shows.

Pros: People all over America are exposed to high quality Broadway productions.The people fall in love with the quality of the Broadway entertainment. They therefore think of attending Broadway shows when in or near NYC on vacation .They seek new shows that have not traveled to their local area.

Con: People are exposed to 6 or more exciting traveling Broadway shows per year in most major cities in the nation. The people have no need to incur the cost to travel in person to the Big White Way.Therefore there is no boost to interest in nor ticket sales for new theatrical productions on Broadway. The traveling shows,which are already a proven success,find the travel to be an important source of revenue, but new shows never benefit.

Sammy Kanter

Anonymous August 3, 2010 You did the right thing. I wpuild have done the same and even more than that. I would ahve sppeald his face with my id.He deserves it for not only being stupid but irresponsible.Don’t ever feel guilty for such persons.And I will not aologize. He should know better.